The Most Difficult Piece in Common Solo Repertoire

[I Love Xenakis]

Since I left the forum (what a nice way of putting it ^^) before I could see the conclusion of this topic, I want to repost it.  Besides, everyone here loves to talk about virtuosity and I don't think there's been an original thread in 6 months so I doubt anyone will mind.

What are the three most difficult pieces in common rep?  I'm really not looking for either the "mozart takes perfection" or the "rach 3 is so scrutinized it's harder than [insert something much more difficult]), nor am I looking for arguments about not looking for those two arguments.  Also, if I left something off that you feel should be on here, you're probably wrong.  I made this list as comprehensive as i could to avoid all the whining and moaning about how the mendelssohn or schubert fantasies arent on here.  Well, i still didnt put the mendelssohn up because that's just a waste of time.  Also, nobody needs to hear about why Islamei shouldnt be on the list; lower level pianists think it's one of the hardest pieces cause that's what they've heard, and trust me, it would be a lot less annoying to you to have to click down once than to hear 15 people complaining about the lack of it.


Now, let's take a look at a post mr. bigshot managed to slip in about one day after i was banned the last time i made this thread (convenient, huh?)

1. What is difficult for one pianist will be less so for another.
2. It remains unclear precisely what is intended to be meant by "difficult" in this context
3. It is also unclear where a universally agreed line could be drawn between "common" and "uncommon" repertoire? - yes, the Hammerklavier, etc. could be called "common" repertoire and some of Sorabji's works "uncommon" repertoire (for the time being, at least), but that fact hardly helps to define all piano music as fitting into either one or the other category...

A bit of a dumb thread, it seems...

Best,

Alistair

Numbers 1 and 2 can be answered in just three words: use your brain.  Seriously, i'm sure you could use some fancy philogogues and floccinaucinihilipillification (showing off immaculate syntax is easy when you want to waste so much time: btw that's the original spelling used by John Steinbeck) to tell me how Fur Elise is just as hard as Evryali but keep it to yourself.  Nobody wants to hear it but you (referring to anyone who wants to try to make such an argument).  btw, you do mean ALL of Sorabji's work, right?

And No. 3.  If it's on the list it's common enough.  De Falla Fantasia Baetica is certainly not as common as Islamei but quite a few pianists play it.  just vote for it if you think it's hard enough.  PS- don't get your hopes up hun.



Now get to work =P

[chromatickler]

Numbers 1 and 2 can be answered in just three words: use your brain.

WRONG

it is YOUR job to answer/define #2 as clearly as you possibly can in order to ensure all resulting arguments are aligned to the same set of assumptions.

unless all you want is some numbers after those piece you listed, in which case you needn't have bothered with this extend intro.

[I Love Xenakis]

Shreddah, is it that you really dont understand what "difficult" means or are you just trying to start an argument?


Seeing as how "difficult" is self-explanitory to anyone who is older than 4 and/or has an IQ above 35, this is kind of difficult, but i'll try.  Of these pieces, which would be the hardest to perform well?


And for anyone who still doesnt understand, i give up.  i leave "difficult" up to your personal interpretation.

[chromatickler]

Of these pieces, which would be the hardest to perform well?

not even close to being clear. but don't give up, please do try again.

[I Love Xenakis]

not even close to being clear. but don't give up, please do try again.

Actually shreddah, seeing as how you could never dream of playing any of these pieces and you have little to no knowledge about any of them I'll pass on wasting a bunch of effort for (hopefully) the only person on this forum incapable of understanding what "difficult" means since your opinion is so very unimportant and your ignorance may actually even harm the outcome.

And for anyone who still doesnt understand, i give up.  i leave "difficult" up to your personal interpretation.

[mephisto]

many of these pieces aren`t in the common solo piano repertoire..........................

[rob47]

I votd for petrouchka which I have never been able to practice for more than a couple of days before inducing tendonitis like symptoms.

[I Love Xenakis]

many of these pieces aren`t in the common solo piano repertoire..........................

yeah i know some of the stuff like the ginastera and hindemith and brahms sonata no. 2 and de falla arent like super common rep, but meh.  a lot of pianists play them, especially the ginastera and hindemith which are often assigned to pianists as pre-prokson pieces.

[mephisto]

yeah i know some of the stuff like the ginastera and hindemith and brahms sonata no. 2 and de falla arent like super common rep, but meh.  a lot of pianists play them, especially the ginastera and hindemith which are often assigned to pianists as pre-prokson pieces.

Nice that we are having such a nice tone(this is NOT sarcasm). But I am interested in why you called this topic the most difficult piacesin COMMON solo repertoire when you admit that they aren`t? And you say that many play them as pre-prokofiev pieces. Doesn`t that mean that they are easier?

[I Love Xenakis]

I put a few pieces up there that arent in the most very super-overplayed common level because last time I made this thread there was quite a bit of whining about how certain pieces were not put on there, to the extent that another member even made a whole new poll with the stuff HE felt should have been on there.  I'm just trying to avoid all possible future confrontation.  And as for the Hindemith/Ginastera vs. Prokofiev, i suppose we'll leave that up to the members of the forum.  I know i thought the Hindemith was tougher than any of the prokofiev i've dealt with; havent played the ginastera so i wouldnt personally know about it but i know quite a few students who have complained about it being a beast.

While not everything here is COMMON, nothing is by any means rare or obscure or unheard of.

[arpeggiosnake]

I think Petrouchka doesnt count beacause its not original for the piano same with Liszt - Wagner.

[arpeggiosnake]

Where the hell is Prelude, Choral and Fugue by Franck? (In terms of techniques isnt that difficult, but in terms of musicality, memorization and feeling is a real challenge for every pianist).

Mendelssohn´s Sonata in B flat is also one of the most difficult sonatas ever.

[arpeggiosnake]

Scriabin Etudes Op 8 or Op 45 are in my opinion way harder than Chopin´s

[pianowelsh]

Frankly who cares why dosent everyone just get back to the practice room instead of grumping at eachother. that way we might stand a chance of being able to play ALL of the above list comfortably and the discussion would be far more profitable.  Difficulty always has been and always will be relative anyway because people struggle with different things.  frankly there isnt a single piece on that list that dosent have corners in it that every pianist dosent struggle with technically or musically or in the case of Boulez etc (intellectually).  tackling these level of pieces is always hard except for the very few who can learn Boulez sonata in a couple of days etc.  but then they dont need to bother with this kind of question.  If what you are after is a progressive list of the above in order of difficulty from a teachers perspective ie graded Im sorry to say that you will have as many different lists as teachers.  but that is the nature of music.  it is SO subjective.   REMEMBER TO STRESS LESS GUYS

[pabst]

the genuinely good things in life arent difficult - like eating a panettone or looking at youself in the mirror and trying to spot the places where you resemble your father....




wow, profound 
anyways, thats what I had to say

[arensky]

I went with Goldbergs, Brahms/Paganini and Hammerklavier.

[apion]

Beethoven, Hammerklavier
Brahms, Paganini Vars
Petrouchka / Ligeti Etudes

[pita bread]

That Petrushka tremolo-abomination is insane.

How hard is that Falla Fantasia anyways?

[I Love Xenakis]

Where the hell is Prelude, Choral and Fugue by Franck? (In terms of techniques isnt that difficult, but in terms of musicality, memorization and feeling is a real challenge for every pianist).

Mendelssohn´s Sonata in B flat is also one of the most difficult sonatas ever.

No.  Just no.

[pita bread]

No.  Just no.

Concurred.

[da rectum]

Balakirev Islamei





 


www.liszt.pl

[rohansahai]

I am with Petrouchka, Prokofiev 6th sonata and Paganini variations.

[presto agitato]

Hammerklavier, Wanderer and Dante Sonata.

Liszt Funerallies should be on yhe list